Classical musicmarket is a big looser from a commercial standpoint.

[sevencircles]

More then 50% of the music market has vanished in some places like Germany and Sweden due to piracy during the 21:st century so far.

Here in Sweden the labels only sign the artist and bands with proclass recordings and chartfriendly music in most cases.

The musicmarket is considered a big looser in most countries in the world today

Only a couple of percent of the sold Albums are classical except for Russia and China perhaps and these countries have a piracyproblem  that is bigger then huge.

How is it really possible for a new classical artist to make a living in countries where the government doesnīt help the classical community?

[elspeth]

In real terms most aspiring classical artists don't make a living as a solo performer, even in countries where the state does put some money into classical music. Most of them end up teaching or in choruses. To woodwind players especially, even orchestral jobs are effectively solo performances because there'll only be one or two of each instrument in any orchestra, so the competition is horrendous.

It's horrible depressing, but relative to pop bands classical music's just not profitable. It requires a real talent, a lifetime of study, and good enough performance ability to get past the hardest critics in the business. Classical music audiences and reviewers are the pickiest and best-informed on their topic there are. To be a pop star, all you need to be is young, pretty, and able to sing well enough to be pulled into tune by a computer.

I think it was Terry Pratchett who wrote in one of his novels 'Opera doesn't make money. You put money in, you get opera out.' It's true... the classical arts are the ones you spend money on, while the popular arts are the ones that make money. And ultimately, those that make money will always get a bigger share of the business opportunities than those that spend it, because the recording industry is not a charity.

[sevencircles]

It requires a real talent, a lifetime of study, and good enough performance ability to get past the hardest critics in the business. Classical music audiences and reviewers are the pickiest and best-informed on their topic there are.

The sad thing is that the classical community tends to work more on more as a popindustry due to lack of albumsales.

Vanessa Mae is a typical example of this.

I donīt think she would be the most wellknown "classical violinist" (Thatīs what they market her as)  violinist in the world in the  30:s for instance.


The sad thing about the classical music fans is that they arenīt better then the rest.

In other words they download from e-mule and similar just like the popfans

[counterpoint]

There's so much music everywhere, from radio, tv, mp3 players - and youtube as well 

why should one go to the concert of an unknown young pianist, if he is not a close friend of you?

It's not that people aren't interested in music - but there is too much of it 24 hours a day.

Making music yourself (and for yourself) is totally different. It is so satisfying - as long as you don't think, you will earn money from it.

[jas]

The sad thing is that the classical community tends to work more on more as a popindustry due to lack of albumsales.

Vanessa Mae is a typical example of this.

I donīt think she would be the most wellknown "classical violinist" (Thatīs what they market her as)  violinist in the world in the  30:s for instance.

Apparently, classical CDs sales consistently amount to around 5-7% of all CD sales. But, now we have things like Classic FM's Music for Driving and rubbish like that and people like Hayley Bloody Westenra who are inexplicably popular, making up the numbers.
It means that a lot of classical CDs have begun acting like pop CDs. They have a brief flurry of shelf-life, then they're put into the back catalogue while everyone buys the next release. Whereas, many older classical CDs have gained a legendary reputation that means they'll have slow but steady sales  for decades.

The sad thing about the classical music fans is that they arenīt better then the rest.

In other words they download from e-mule and similar just like the popfans

As for the emule thing, it's unfortunate but unavoidable that many classical performance, eg. opera, cost a lot of money to create, meaning of course that they cost a lot of money to buy. Given the choice between downloading it free and spending Ģ50 on it, it's not hard to guess which most of us would pick. Pop music can be expensive, but its audiences are often huge, and anyone who doesn't sell enough gets dropped by their label.

[elspeth]

It's also unfortunate that a lot of classical CDs aimed at the 'popular' market all contain the same music - Pachelbel's Canon being a prime example... If you go into your local music shop and look at the album sleeves you'd be hard put to find a compilation album which contains any real variety. So people will buy one classical compilation where they might own a rack full of other genres' compilations - and those compilation albums are usually not laid out in a manner that encourages you to go out and buy more of a composer's work.

The other thing at the moment is that a lot of people only hear classical music on the TV or in film scores - which is why soundtracks sell, because people have listened to the music and learned to like it for another reason besides the music itself.

It's true about the bankable classical music stars... for instance no good opera company would ever cast Russell Watson in a prime role because his voice isn't good enough - but he's young and pretty enough to sell albums as long as his youth and looks last. And yet I saw Placido Domingo at Covent Garden last year aged - what, sixty plus? - and he's astonishing. Such a voice, and no mean sword-fighter... And yet although most people have heard of him, his record sales for solo albums are probably below Russell Watson.

I work in a theatre and on opera nights you can clearly see three groups in the audience - which we call popular opera people, rich opera people and proper opera people. The popular crowd come out for shows like Carmen, Traviata, Boheme - the famous repertoire - and enjoy it but have no inclination to develop the interest into more obscure work they haven't heard of. The rich opera people are the ones in the most expensive seats whose intention is 'look at me I go to the opera and sit in the best seats' because they think it implies social status and intellectual ability, not because they like or appreciate it. And the last group, the proper opera people, are the serious fans who turn out to every show and you usually find them sitting in the balcony in the cheap seats because they can't afford the expensive seats!

Unfortunately, the proper opera crowd, although the backbone of the audience, don't spend money in anything like the quantities the popular or rich crowds do - so those two groups are effectively subsidising the third. This season we're putting on Rigoletto and two obscureish ones - and Rigoletto will sell out so will offset the losses on the other two.

It's called economics... and it's very unfortunate but in this day and age if you don't make money you don't get the breaks.

[sevencircles]

Apparently, classical CDs sales consistently amount to around 5-7% of all CD sales.

I expected that rate to increase as the generals sales declined due to piracy but for some reason it hasnīt and thatīs a clear sign that classical musicfans arenīt the wealthy middle-age people that you would assume.

Itīs needless to say that very few pianists can make a  living just performing and recording.

Fortunately we have this forum where we can mention the greatest unsigned pianists we know of.

I assume that many pianist would find a deal if they happened to be born 10 years earlier.